Having any kind of tooth problem can really put a damper on your travel experience, and it always helps to know what to do in a dental emergency. Dr. Nancy Rosen is one of New York City’s leading practitioners of cosmetic and restorative dentistry and appears as a frequent guest expert on national television as well as in magazines and newspapers. Therefore, I knew she was just the person to give sound, useful advice to my readers.

Carolyn: “What do you do if you break a tooth in-flight or on a trip? How do you fix it for the short term?”
Dr. Rosen: “If you fracture a tooth in-flight- if you can leave it alone until you can find a dentist to help you.  If the fractured tooth is very sharp, cutting into your tongue or cheek and you have a long flight ahead of you- try to gently smooth the area with an emory board or nail file.  If you are on a trip, try to find a reputable dentist in the area and have him/her treat the problem.  The hotel concierge can probably recommend a great local dentist.”

[Read more →]

Sometimes those of us who travel the most are the people most likely to get careless. We’re pros, after all. We do this all the time. And if we haven’t yet had a bad experience or an emergency, we begin to think we never will. So the following 5 tips are just a reminder that whenever you’re traveling, it’s better to play it safe so that you don’t wind up being sorry.

1. Be smart about guarding your personal information. Being friendly is nice but sharing too much with strangers is foolish.

2. Plan for emergencies. Whether you’re traveling with business colleagues, family, or friends, decide on a spot where you’ll meet should you be separated or have to evacuate your hotel.

[Read more →]

Most of us assume that while we’re in the air our belongings are safe—after all, a thief would have no way to escape the scene of the crime. But most in-flight theft isn’t discovered until the plane has landed, passengers have disembarked, and it’s virtually impossible to identify and track down the thief. So the best thing you can do is to safeguard your valuables at all times.

1. Don’t put your passport, money, credit cards, or jewelry in your carry-on or stow your purse in an overhead bin. If possible keep your valuables on your person—in a pocket, a money belt, or even in your shoe. If you do have a purse, keep it close to you so that you’d be aware if someone were trying to open it. And take your purse and/or your valuables with you whenever you leave your seat.

[Read more →]

As their website states, when you have a SteriPEN “you’re carrying hundreds of gallons of pure water in your pocket.” The handheld, portable, lightweight water purifier uses ultraviolet light to destroy waterborne microbes. Once you have this handy, health-promoting tool in your travel gear you’ll no longer have to worry about whether or not it’s safe to drink the water wherever you go.

What many travelers don’t know is that, according to the Environmental Protection Agency’s own website, as of October 6, 2009, the “EPA does not have sufficient data to make broadly applicable, reliable conclusions about water quality on passenger aircraft.”

[Read more →]

We all know how important it is to drink enough water. Dehydration can cause all kinds of problems including not only thirst but also nausea (like you need that on a flight), exhaustion, muscle and joint aches, angina, migraine headaches, restlessness, confusion, and anxiety. And when we’re flying, it’s very easy to become dehydrated.

According to Dr. Parvez Dara, who, in addition to being a medical doctor is also a Master Certified Flight Instructor and a member of the Society of Aviation and Flight Educators with an Airline Transport Pilot rating, “At altitude, air pressure is low, the water vapor content is low and compensatory hyperventilation (increased rate of breathing) is the norm. So there is excess water loss through breathing—the exchange of dry air for moist breath.” As a result, our cells lose water and slow down their function.

The most damaging effects of all this are in the brain, so it’s imperative for pilots to stay hydrated. But it’s important for passengers’ health and comfort as well. My own general rule is to drink 8 ounces of water for every hour in flight. And do remember that drinking alcohol—whether in a plane or on the ground—is additionally dehydrating. So if you’re going to drink alcohol, you need to drink more water as well.

It used to be that all you had to worry about losing when you traveled was your luggage, your wallet, and your passport. With all the new technology, however, you actually have much more to lose. The problem is that when you log onto the Internet you may inadvertently be connecting with a cyber thief.

If you’re using a shared computer in a hotel, you could be leaving a cyber trail. Both Apple and Microsoft include tools for covering your tracks. (On Apple’s Safari browser menu, toggle “Private Browsing.” When you log off Microsoft Explorer go to Tools and click on Delete Browsing History to remove your passwords and the websites you’ve visited.) But that may not be enough because there may already be malware (malicious software) someone else has put in place to grab your passwords and other information.

[Read more →]

Whether you’re a visitor or a resident of New York who’s planning or returning from a trip abroad, Travel MD has a group of board-certified physicians knowledgeable in all specialties including tropical medicine and travelers’ health who are available 24/7 to cater to your every need.

Although I haven’t used the service myself, based on everything I’ve heard and read about it, if I were visiting New York City and needed immediate medical attention, I would certainly try it. My favorite thing about Travel MD is that they make house calls! Just give them a ring and you will receive a prompt, confidential visit from a highly qualified doctor in your hotel room, residence, office, or virtually any other venue. Or you can visit their comfortable, well-appointed urgent care center on Manhattan’s Upper East Side. Travel MD will also arrange consultations with top New York specialists, coordinate care with your own physician, and facilitate discrete emergency room care in critical situations.

[Read more →]

A recent article in the British newspaper The Daily Mail highlighted an aspect of travel safety you might not have considered. You might be safe while you’re away but you may inadvertently be putting your home and your property in danger.

It seems that a report prepared for a major insurance company by the reformed thief and star of BBC’s “Beat the Burglar” series, Michael Fraser has warned that posting messages on sites like Twitter and Facebook could be letting potential burglars know when you’re away. Fraser calls it “digital shopping for burglars” who can target victims through these sites and then gather more information about their neighborhood and their home by using other internet resources such as Google Street View.

If you or your children subscribe to these or other social networking sites, you’d be wise to avoid using them as a way to share your plans with potential thieves.

Right now, when everyone’s worried about coming down with the flu, we’re more aware than ever of the germs that can be lurking in unexpected places—and this is particularly true not only in the workplace but also in airplanes and hotels, where many people come and go all the time.

One way to protect yourself and others from 90 different kinds of germs and viruses, including Staph, Strep, E. coli, Herpes I & II, Asian flu, HIV, and even Hepatitis B. is to use this great product.

It isn’t an antibacterial gel or wipe you use on your hands; Virofree is a non-toxic disinfectant spray made from a formula similar to the one used in hospitals that you can you use on virtually any kind of surface from toilets to telephones. I always have a TSA-approved ½-ounce size container in my carry-on when I fly and also keep a larger one in my luggage. I certainly don’t consider myself a “germaphobe,” but, on the other hand, I don’t like being sick when I’m traveling, and I suspect you don’t either.